New Bedford Councilor Reminds Residents to Report Street Issues on App

New Bedford Ward 3 City Councilor Shawn Oliver wants to remind city residents that the ability to have your streets taken care of is right in your own pocket.

Oliver, who was elected back on February 28, said he has already used the See Click Fix app “a ton of times” since taking office to report issues.

“It’s just another way that it leaves a digital footprint so the proper departments know what needs to be done,” he said.

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“There are 11 councilors and the mayor and all these department heads, but we’re not out on the roads every single day in every single neighborhood,” Oliver said. “So the folks in our community that travel these roads and see these issues, it’s beneficial for us if they’re able to voice those, whether it be through a neighborhood meeting, whether it be through some other type of meeting or call, text, or now through the app.”

The app, which is free to download for Android and Apple devices, has been in use for years now in New Bedford, most famously for reporting potholes. Oliver wants residents to know, however, that it can also be used to report things such as side streets that need sweeping.

He said that with street sweeping underway across the city, the sweepers will be traveling mostly down major roads and will need to know if side streets need attention.

“Some of the heavily-traveled roads in the city are going to get that attention, the Shawmut Aves, the Hathaway Roads, the County Streets, our main thoroughfares through the city are obviously going to get that attention. Some of the side streets fall by the wayside a little,” he said.

That’s where the See Click Fix app can help out.

“If there’s a specific spot that you as a resident feels some attention, you’re able to go on this app, there’s a section just for street sweeping,” Oliver said.

“You can put in a brief description, or an address, or you can even drop a pin because it’s tied into Google Maps, and let DPI and the proper departments know where the trouble areas are, so when we are out sweeping they are aware that hey, I have to turn down this street and maybe pass through there as well,” he said.

Oliver said that while the app can get the ball rolling on these issues, it’s also good to follow up with your city councilor just to let them know you sent it in.

“What the app does is it keeps a digital file on record of that particular issue or that particular problem area,” he said. “(Letting us know), it’s just another way that we can now follow up. We know there’s an issue, we’ve been made aware, and it establishes a little bit of communication between the residents and ourselves.”

Oliver also encouraged more participation at neighborhood meetings, where many of these issues are discussed among residents, and often with city officials in attendance.

“A lot of those things that affect you as a resident are most likely going to affect other people in your neighborhood,” he said. “That pothole is not only an annoying thing for you, but I’m sure all your neighbors feel that as well. So these neighborhood meetings are just another venue, a little less formal, where folks can come in and voice some of these issues that are ongoing in the city.”

To download the See Click Fix app, visit your device’s app store or the City of New Bedford website, which also has handy how-to guides for reporting issues.